Lesson Plan for Grade 1 - Social Studies - Understanding Past and Present

### Lesson Plan: Understanding Past and Present #### Grade Level: 1st Grade #### Subject: Social Studies #### Duration: 1 Hour #### Topic: Understanding Past and Present --- ### Learning Objectives: 1. **Identify differences between past and present.** 2. **Understand that people, places, and objects change over time.** 3. **Develop vocabulary related to time concepts (e.g., past, present, long ago, now).** ### Standards: - **CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.1.3:** Describe the connection between a series of historical events, scientific ideas or concepts, or steps in technical procedures in a text. - **NCSS Standard I:** Culture and Cultural Diversity ### Materials Needed: - Storybook: "Then and Now" by Heather Amery - Pictures of items/places from the past and present (e.g., telephones, cars, schools) - Chart paper and markers - Drawing paper and crayons - A timeline template ### Introduction (10 minutes): 1. **Greeting & Warm-Up Activity:** - Greet students and gather them in a circle. - Begin with a simple question: "Can anyone tell me what they did this morning?" - Discuss the concept of “today” being the “present” and how “yesterday” was the “past.” 2. **Objective Sharing:** - Explain the objectives of the lesson. “Today, we are going to learn about the past and present and see how things have changed over time.” ### Direct Instruction (15 minutes): 1. **Story Reading:** - Read “Then and Now” by Heather Amery aloud. Pause to show illustrations and discuss. 2. **Discussion:** - After reading, ask questions about the story to reinforce understanding. Example: “What differences did you notice between the way people lived in the past and now?” ### Guided Practice (10 minutes): 1. **Picture Sort Activity:** - Provide students with pictures of various items from the past and present (e.g., old telephones vs. smartphones). - Create two columns on a piece of chart paper: “Past” and “Present.” - As a class, sort the images into the correct category. 2. **Comparison Conversation:** - Encourage students to discuss why certain items belong in the past and others in the present. ### Independent Practice (15 minutes): 1. **Drawing Activity:** - Give each student a piece of drawing paper and crayons. - Ask them to draw one thing from the past on one side and its modern version on the other. - Examples: A horse and buggy vs. a car; an old-fashioned telephone vs. a smartphone. ### Closure (10 minutes): 1. **Show and Tell:** - Allow students to share their drawings with the class and explain what they drew. 2. **Timeline Creation:** - Together, create a simple timeline using the timeline template. Include at least three events/objects from the past and three from the present. 3. **Reflection:** - Ask students to reflect on what they learned about the past and present. - Prompt: “Can you tell me one thing you learned about how our lives are different from how they were long ago?” ### Assessment: - **Formative:** - Observe student participation during discussions and activities. - Collect and review the drawing activities for understanding of past and present concepts. ### Teacher Reflection: - After the lesson, reflect on what worked well and what could be improved. - Note students who may need further support or advanced enrichment. --- ### Extra Activities: - **Extension:** - Prepare a show-and-tell with an old artifact and a modern counterpart. - Create a “Then and Now” classroom book, where each student contributes a page. ### Notes: - Be sensitive to students who might be less familiar with the concept of time, and provide one-on-one support if needed. - Ensure all students are given an opportunity to share and participate equally.